Laser marking of molded hand grips

ABSTRACT

A method is provided for marking a molded hand grip such as a golf grip (100) with specialized information such as a personalized signature. The method utilizes a laser marking device (50) that is operative to provide an optical beam (8) having power and optical wave length characteristics effective to vaporize a continuous groove or trench and/or adjacently positioned dots in a target region (&#34;R&#34;) on the hand grip to which beam (8) is exposed, The marked grip is then removed from device (50) and a selected colorant (16) such as paint or ink of desired color is then deposited in the marking that is preferably bondable to the desired extent to the material from which the hand grip is molded after which any excess colorant is then removed to provide the finished hand grip having the specialized information marked thereon.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 868,807 filed on Apr. 15,1992 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,158.

This invention relates generally to a method for marking molded handgrips and more particularly to a method for laser marking already moldedhand grips with specialized information such as insignia, logomarks,brand names, personalized signatures and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many hand grips and most golf hand grips are currently being made by amolding process and any design or marking desired on the outside of thegrip must be designed into the mold so that the marking is in the formof a depression or groove in the resultant molded product outer surfaceinto which a suitable paint is then characteristically applied with anyexcess being removed such as by wiping, buffing or sanding.

Such process however, would be extremely costly .and limited inversatility in cases where individualized marking is desired sincespecial molds would have to be made to satisfy individual customerrequest.

Surprisingly, no one prior to the present invent:on had thought toutilize laser technology for marking specialized information on alreadymolded hand grips so that either or both the manufacturer anddistributor could provide such specialized marking in response toindividual customer request.

Although laser marking devices have been available in the market placefor many years, they have not heretofor been employed to markinformation on already molded hand grips.

Informative descriptions of commercially available laser devices can befound for example in "Proceedings of the Society of Photo-OpticalInstrumentation Engineers" (SPIE) in Volume 86, pp. 23-29, 1976, in anarticle by M. J. Weiner entitled "PRODUCT MARKING WITH NA: YAG and CO₂LASERS" and in Volume 247, pp. 18-23, 1980 in an article by Ronald L.Hansen entitled "EODYMIUM YTTRIUM ALUMINUM GARNET (Nd: YAG) LASERMARKING SYSTEMS".

Although the above described SPIE articles are replete with informationconcerning electronic circuitry associated with the respective devicesand their ability to mark by vaporizing adjacently positioned dots orcontinuous grooves or tunnels in metal, plastic and rubber materials, noone heretofor had thought to apply such laser technology to mark alreadymolded hand grips with personalized information such as insignia, brandnames, logomarks, signatures and the like which would otherwise beextremely impracticable where such had to be accomplished by engravingthe molds.

An example of a laser cutting device for tape controled cutting isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,930, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference. An example where a laser device isused to engrave printing copper plate is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.4,516,496, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.An example of laser cutting tire treads in blank prototype blocks isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,737, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference.

None of the above patents however, singularly or in any combination withthe above described SPIE articles disclose or suggest the marking methodof the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a method formarking information on an already molded hand grip.

It is another object of this invention to mark an already molded handgrip with personalized information such as insignia, brand names,logomarks, personalized signatures and the like.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide a methodemploying a laser device for marking information on already molded handgrips.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the method of theinvention for marking hand grips.

DESCRIPTION OF SOME PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A molded hand grip in the form of a golf hand grip 100 is provided instep (a) of FIG. 1. Golf grip 100 also is a molded grip that is to bemarked by the method of the present invention.

Golf grip 100 has designs such as Chevrons 2 and the arrow 4 molded intoits outer surface for common distribution in the market place. Golf grip100 has an end cap 6 secured to its end that itself may contain markingsfor common distribution in the market place.

Golf grip 100 also has a region referenced by the letter "R" that is thetarget region to be marked with specialized information by the method ofthe invention.

Golf grip 100 is molded from a laser vaporizable material that isvaporized by a laser marking device 50 such as shown in step (b) ofFIG. 1. Golf grip 100 is preferably molded from a material selected fromthe group of materials consisting of thermoplastic elastomers and rubbermaterials having durometer and toughness and gripping characteristicsattractive for conditions under which the game of golf is apt to beplayed.

Examples of thermoplastic elastomers suitable for golf hand gripsinclude lower durometer block copolymers sold under the "KRATON"trademark by Shell Chemical Company. Rubber compositions suitable forgolf grips applications include natural rubber, synthetic polymers orcombinations of both compounded with plasticizers, stabilizers, U.V.inhibitors and other additives well known to those skilled in the art ofrubber hand grip materials.

A laser marking device 50 is provided in step (b) in FIG. 1 aspreviously described. Device 50 is operative to provide an optical beamhaving power and optical wave length characteristics effective tovaporize the selected hand grip material in a marking form having thebreadth and depth desired.

Device 50 is operative to receive and mark specialized information on atarget region exposed to the laser beam of which the personalizedsignature "Tracy" is an illustrative example.

The information to be marked may be received by device 50 in a varietyof forms such as by typing or by means of tape or by means of a parallelstylus marking system by which the laser beam tracks the stylus movementas directed by intermediate electro-mechanical interconnections.

Device 50 may for example be of the programmable type that stores theinformation to be marked on the hand grip in memory which is thenretrieved in response to a command signal that is referenced in step (b)by the numeral "C".

As shown in step (b) of FIG. 1, when the laser is activated by commandsignal "C", a laser optical beam 8 is produced that impinges upon areflective optical positioner 10 that is operable to move in at leastthe plane perpendicular to the beam to provide the marking desired byvaporizing a continuous groove or trench having the breadth and depthdesired in the target material to which the laser beam 8 is exposed.

Device 50 may include a "Q" switch that is operative to turn laser beam8 on and off at a selected rate to create a pulsed signal that incombination with either the beam movement in the plane perpendicular tothe beam creating what is known in the laser marking trade as "dots"that are adjacently positioned and are used in many markingapplications.

In some instances, the marking device may provide a stationary opticalbeam 8 and the target itself is caused to traverse across the beam in amanner operative to enable the beam to mark the product with the desiredinformation.

In yet another variation, a mask 14 having the information to be markedcut therethrough may be inserted between laser beam 8 and the targetregion such that the beam casts an image of the information to be markedon the target and which then proceeds to vaporize the material beneaththe image to the breadth and depth desired.

In yet a further variation, the marking produced by the laser device maybe a combination of both a continuous groove or trench and adjacentlypositioned dots.

Thus, numerous variations may be employed to laser mark a target regionsuch as region "R" of golf grip 100 exposed to laser beam 8 in step (c)with information desired such as by traversing the optical beam acrossthe target region or by traversing the target region across the opticalbeam or by traversing both the beam and the target relative the othereither continuously to mark the target region material with a continuousgroove or trench or by employing a "Q" switch or equivalent operative topulse the laser beam to mark the target region material with adjacentlypositioned dots in a manner providing the marking desired.

The laser produced dots and/or grooves providing the marked informationcreated in step (c) are then at least partially filled with a selectedcolorant in step (d) such as a paint or ink in contrasting color to thecolor of golf grip 100 by means such as paint brush 18. Colorant 16 hasthe desired color and is preferably bondable to the extend desired tothe selected material for which golf grip 100 is molded.

Any excess colorant in the marked target region of golf grip 100 is thenremoved such as by wiping and/or sanding, and/or buffing the surface ofregion "R" such as illustrated by rotary buffing wheel 20 in step (e) ofFIG. 1 that then provides the resulting golf grip 100 having thepersonalized signature "Tracy" marked thereon.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hand grip marked after being molded withpersonalized information by a method comprising:providing the hand gripalready molded from a selected laser vaporizable material and having aregion thereon to be marked; exposing the hand grip region to an opticalbeam of a laser marking device operative to provide an optical beamhaving power and optical wavelength characteristics effective tovaporize the selected material in a marking form having the breadth anddepth desired and having means for receiving the information to bemarked and for causing the optical beam to mark the region in themarking form desired upon activation of the optical beam in response toa command signal; and initiating the command signal and marking thepersonalized information on the hand grip region, the method being doneafter the hand grip is molded and before the hand grip is usable as apersonalized hand grip.
 2. The hand grip of claim 1, the method furthercomprising:depositing a selected colorant into the laser marking; andremoving any excess of the colorant from the region of the hand grip. 3.A molded hand grip marked after being molded with personalizedinformation by a method comprising:providing the hand grip alreadymolded from a selected laser vaporizable material and having a regionthereon to be marked; exposing the hand grip region to an optical beamof a laser marking device operative to provide an optical beam havingpower and optical wavelength characteristics effective to vaporize theselected material in a marking form having the breadth and depth desiredand having means for receiving the information to be marked and forcausing the optical beam to mark the region in the marking form desiredupon activation of the optical beam in response to a command signal;initiating the command signal and marking the information on the handgrip region exposed thereto; depositing a selected colorant into thelaser marking; and removing any excess of the colorant from the surfaceof the hand grip region having the laser marking thereon, the methodbeing done after the hand grip is molded and before the hand grip isusable as a personalized hand grip.
 4. A substantially hollow hand gripalready molded from a selected laser vaporizable material, the hand griphaving a region thereon marked after molding with personalizedinformation by a laser marking device operative to produce an opticalbeam having power and optical wavelength characteristics effective tovaporize the selected material in a marking form after molding andbefore useable as a hand grip.
 5. A substantially hollow hand gripalready molded from a selected laser vaporizable material, the hand griphaving a region thereon marked after molding with personalizedinformation by or for an end user utilizing a laser marking deviceoperative to produce an optical beam having power and optical wavelengthcharacteristics effective to vaporize the selected material in a markingform having a desired depth after molding and before useable as apersonalized hand grip, the laser marking being at least partiallyfilled with a colorant.
 6. The hand grip of claim 1 wherein the handgrip is a golf grip.
 7. The hand grip of claim 4 wherein the hand gripis a golf grip.
 8. The hand grip of claim 5 wherein the hand grip is agolf grip.